Nijmegen hikes parking rates to €30 in part of city center

Nijmegen wants to charge 30 euros for parking in the Benedenstad, the low-lying residential area in the city center, no matter how long you park there. The city hopes that the measure will discourage young people who like to hang out and play loud music from their cars in the area at night, Omroep Gelderland reports.

The Hague recently also hiked parking rates in parts of Scheveningen to 50 euros in an effort to clear up more parking space for locals. That would be a fantastic side-benefit in Nijmegen, but the main reason for the measure is to reduce nuisance.

According to the city, young people like to chill and make noise on the Waalkade in large numbers. This usually happens after 11:00 p.m., when parking is currently still free. The city council still has to approve the measure.

If the municipality gets its way, every motorist who parks in Benedenstad must pay the day ticket of 30 euros, whether they park there for two minutes or the entire day. The municipality plans to use the proceeds to hire enforcement officers to patrol the area 24/7.

The city hopes that the high price tag will scare troublemakers away. Young people can also park their cars in one of the parking garages in the city center, where parking costs 50 cents per hour and 14 euros per day.

Residents of Benedenstad are excluded from the measure. They can continue to park in the area with their resident or visitor permit.